If you live in Russia and like to curse in any fashion, we hope you got it all out of your system, because now it’s going to cost you.
Beginning today, anyone using a curse word in the arts will be subject to a fine of anywhere from $70 to $1400. The arts are loosely defined as books, films, music, theatre, and blogs- basically any media generated in Russia.
At the same time, there is also a bill being debated in Russia that would ban the use of any “borrowed” or “foreign” words, as well as an increasingly large number of restrictions being placed on the press. It’s all a part of President Vladimir Putin’s plan to forge a new “national and spiritual identity” for his nation, a vision that apparently focuses its energy extreme censorship and insularity. What fun.
The new laws are so arbitrary and unclear that decisions over what constitutes a profanity will be made by a committee of experts. Movies with swearing will not be allowed to be widely distributed, and anything being sold that contains profanity will have to be sealed and labeled.
What a bunch of bullshit.
[via The Guardian]
